Oh, Luckdog, Joey and I are never going to make you happy in this, are we! Sigh. Well, there are two chapters let to go on this one so I hope everyone has at least mostly enjoyed the ride! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Twenty Nine

Joey arrived in Summer Bay, ready to support her family during Casey's trial. He had been charged with an arson attack on a rival gang's property. The leader of the gang was called Jake, the brother of Hammer, the man Charlie had shot during her kidnapping ordeal. Casey and Ruby had got back together and she had promised to wait for the boy she loved.

Brax had hooked up with his lawyer, Hayley and made several attempts to rub Charlie's nose in it. Charlie tried not to be amused that he was trying to make her jealous. He didn't seem to realise that it was a lost cause. Once upon a time, the thought of him going off with someone else would have destroyed her. When it had been Tegan, only a couple of months before, she had been utterly devastated. But now, she was secure and safe in her relationship with Joey and they were both determined to make it work. They loved each other and both were adamant that nothing was ever going to tear them apart again.

Dressed in her only suit, Joey knocked on Leah's door. She let herself in when she saw Charlie downing coffee in the kitchen. Charlie immediately put her cup down and pulled Joey into her arms. They hugged and kissed for several moments.

"What do you think about running away from today?" the police officer suggested.

She was in uniform, ready to give evidence against Casey.

"I wish we could," Joey said. "But once we get today over with, we have a whole week to do whatever we like."

Charlie nodded and kissed her again.

"We really should have booked an actual holiday, you know," she mused.

"We should have," Joey agreed. "But I'm sure we can have fun regardless."

Charlie nodded enthusiastically. She just wanted to get everything over with and then she could focus on relaxing and having fun with her girlfriend. It had been a couple of weeks since their previous crisis but for both of them, it had become a distant memory. They were both determined to focus on the present and the future, not the past.

"Are you ready, Charlie?" Ruby asked, bursting into the kitchen. "Oh, hey, Joey."

She grinned and hugged her.

"Are you guys ready to go?" she repeated. "I don't want to be late."

"Yep," Charlie said. "We're all set."


Three hours later, most people left the court in a state of distress. Ruby and the Braxtons' were utterly devastated that Casey had been sentenced to thirty days in custody. Charlie was feeling bitter over the way Brax's slutty lawyer had dragged her over the coals. She had publicised Charlie's former relationship with Brax and made out to the court that she had only pressed charges against Casey in a bid for revenge. It had taken all Joey had not to go for her or Brax.

Outside the court, in the fresh air, Charlie leant against the wall and caught her breath. Joey kept close by her, holding her hand and assuring her that everything was going to be alright.

"Nothing's going to be alright," Charlie disagreed. "This is exactly what I was terrified of happening."

With the truth about her relationship with Brax out in the open, she was sure she could kiss goodbye her career, not to mention her standing within the local community.

"Charlie, I'm sorry," said a male voice.

Charlie looked up sharply, her jaw and fists clenched.

"Sorry for what, exactly?" she snapped bitterly. "For humiliating me in there?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Brax insisted.

"Oh, so you're whore of a lawyer just guessed all that information about us, did she?"

Brax hesitated, not entirely sure how to respond. He tried not to read too much into Charlie's words, not wanting to fool himself into thinking she could be jealous of Hayley.

"I didn't think she was going to use it like that," he finally said.

"How the hell did you think she was going to use it?" Charlie demanded.

She pushed away from the wall and marched up to him furiously.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done to me?"

"I think Casey's in a worse position than you!" Brax argued. "If it had been Ruby, don't you think you would have done whatever it took to get her off?"

"Ruby wouldn't have been so stupid as to become a criminal like you and your lot!" Charlie shouted.

"Charlie, I think we should calm this down," Joey said gently, tugging on her girlfriend's hand.

"Yeah," Heath said, coming up behind Brax. "Listen to the little muff diver."

Joey was ready to swing for him. Charlie and Ruby held her back.

"Yeah," Brax remarked. "You've totally upgraded from me to that, haven't you?"

Without another word, he, Hayley, Heath and Cheryl marched away. Left outside the court together, Joey quietly apologised.

"It's not your fault," Charlie said sadly. "None of this is your fault. It's all down to me."


The next morning, things were even worse than Charlie feared. The news of her relationships with both Brax and Joey were splayed all across the front page of the local newspaper. The headline read "Local Cop Ditches Criminal Gang Member for Lesbian Love Tryst". It made Charlie feel sick just thinking about what everyone would be saying about her right about now. She felt like her life was over.


Next time… Charlie is in trouble at work while Joey and Bianca try to cheer her up…